Typically Darren
by sleepyblaine
Summary: Formerly BlaineAnderson'KurtHummel. Chris hated Darren. Darren didn't hate Chris. Tables turned and Chris found himself falling for his curly-haired co-star. He thought he didn't notice... CrissColfer, rated T.


"Darren... Darren!" Chris called angrily when he walked into the other actors' trailer. The curly-haired boy was stretched out on his couch, a plate of coffee cake in his hands, and the TV on full blare. Chris just stared.

"Ok, so I take it that I've done something wrong because the look on your face could start a fire," Darren said, his sentence ending in a chuckle and turning into a full belly laugh. Chris narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his hips. Darren continued hooting.

"Alright, look, we've got make-up in five minutes and we shoot the scene in 15! So get your fat, lazy ass off that couch or I will-"

"Dude, calm down," Darren said, standing up. He offered the half-devoured piece of cake to his co-star but put it down after a dark look from the other boy. Together, they rushed out of the trailer towards Hair and Make-up.

Xxxxxxx

"Hurry! Get in, get in, get in, get in!" Madison, their stylist, hissed when they arrived. Hallie, their make-up artist, waved and smiled warmly when she saw the two boys and motioned to the swivel-seat in front of them.

"Who's first?" she asked. Darren clapped enthusiastically as he bolted over and sat in the chair. He swung it around once, a perfect 360, and smiled when he saw Chris's steely gaze. Hallie laughed, but Madison rolled her eyes and pushed Chris down in the hair-dressers chair. As she began to work on his locks, Hallie ran a bronzing brush over Darren's face. The dark haired boy looked at Chris in amusement.

"I don't know why you've gotta be so serious all the time," he said, and smiled as Hallie pushed on the side of his chin so he was looking straight ahead. Chris huffed.

"I just care about the show, okay?" he said. Madison frowned.

"Stay still," she said angrily. Chris mumbled, "Sorry."

"Yeah, but this is supposed to be fun," Darren said, slightly turning his head again until Hallie pushed it back. He closed his eyes and she swiped the brush over his eyelids.

"No, it's work. It's not supposed to be fun," Chris said, earning a sigh of disapproval from Madison. When the stylists were done, the actors swapped seats, and Madison got to work on slicking Darren's wild curls back into that respectable Blaine Anderson look that everyone adored. Hallie began to run a sponge over Chris's already-flawless face.

"Big scene today, boys?" she asked. Darren tried to nod and Madison slapped the back of his head. He flinched.

"Sorry, Madi," he said, and she growled – he knew she hated it when he called her that, and he sniggered.

"Yup. Blaine finally confesses his love to Kurt, effectively ending the scene with a loving kiss," Chris said, an edge of excitement in his voice. "It's just so romantic."

"Blah," Darren said, sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth. "Man-love."

"Yeah, well, I'm not in love with idea of kissing you either, so shut it," Chris snapped, and Darren laughed.

Xxxxxxx

"And... cut!"

Chris pulled his lips away from Darren's and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of the Dalton blazer.

"Good scene guys, we'll do it over after lunch," Ryan said, walking up. Darren gave him a thumbs up and Chris nodded.

"Not bad, Colfer," Darren said jokingly as their director walked away. Chris rolled his eyes and pulled out a small compact mirror, checking his bangs before clipping it up and putting it back in his pocket. Darren chuckled. Chris looked at him through is eyelashes.

"You hate me," Darren said, and Chris smiled.

"You could say that," he said, crossing his legs and putting his hands on his knees. A lot like his character, Daren often said. That made Chris growl.

"Why?" he asked. Chris chuckled once.

"Lets see. You're disgusting, you're vile, you smell, you're disrespectful, you never take anything seriously, you're lazy, sweaty, germy, and when was the last time you washed your face? It's like an old dry sponge. You-"

"You've made your point," Darren said, standing up to go and face the roof-to-floor length window behind them. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"See? You're rude." Darren rolled his eyes. Someone yelled action in the background and outside someone was driving in with a truck.

"Well I don't hate you."

Chris sat up a little straighter. "Oh?"

"I think you're amazingly talented and you're not too harsh on the eyes, either. I admire you for taking your work so seriously and I truly am sorry I goof off so much."

Darren turned to Chris and saw he had a red flush going from his forehead down his neck, and smiled. Yep, exactly like his character.

"O... ok," Chris stuttered, as Ryan walked back on set with a coffee and a donut in his hand.

"Boys!" he said, sitting in the director's chair. "Go get lunch. See you back here in an hour, okay?"

Darren mumbled something and Chris nodded, and they both hurriedly walked off set.

Xxxxxxx

"He just sounded so... sincere when he said it," Chris explained, picking at his lunch. Amber scraped the rest of her salad onto her spoon and shoved it in her mouth.

"He's right, though," she said with her mouth full. Chris raised an eyebrow at her and Lea giggled.

"I just want to do a good job," Chris mumbled, folding his arms. Lea put her hand on his shoulder.

"You're so talented," she said, and Chris relaxed a little more, shooting a glance to said co-star who was hooting with laughter at something Chord had said. Cory and Kevin were there, too, and they were both laughing. Ashley, Naya, and Diana were at another table, talking about something or another. Chris looked back at Lea and smiled.

"I know," he said, and Amber smiled.

"Ten minutes, my stars!" Ryan stuck his head in the door and yelled. Everyone responded 'yep!' or 'got it!' or 'mmph' if they had food in their mouth. Chris gave the director a thumbs up and Lea waved and nodded.

"I'm so excited for the Regionals scene," Lea enthused as they stood up and dumped their trays in the bin as they walked out the door towards their trailers. Chris sighed, and put on his best smile as they walked.

Xxxxxxx

"Cut... and scene!" Ryan called and Chris wrenched his face away from Darren's and shuddered slightly. The curly haired boy picked up his trailer keys and walked for the door. Chris stared at the ground, feeling slightly guilty about before. Shrugging out of his blazer, he threw it down on the fancy couch and sprinted for the door after Darren.

When he was out in the corridor, Chord and Harry were outside discussing something Chris didn't care about.

"Chord," he said, running up to his co-star. "Have you seen Darren?"

"That's the one with the curly hair... right?" the blonde said, and Chris rolled his eyes.

"Yes," he said, and Chord pointed towards the trailers. Chris nodded, and patted his shoulder in thanks. Heading swiftly for the trailers he nodded in hello to Lea and Cory, and waved to Amber. He sprang up the steps of Darren's place and knocked once or twice on the door. Chris waited a few seconds, and then knocked again. Darren opened the door, ruffling his hair with his hand. He frowned.

"Darren, hey," Chris said. Darren waved once with his free hand, looking confused. Chris fiddled with his fingers.

"I'm sorry, about before," he said awkwardly and a broad smile crossed Darren's face. His smile isn't half bad, Chris thought, then shook his head.

"Forget about it," Darren said, stepping away from the door. "Wanna come in?"

Chris pursed his lips and nodded. Stepping into the messy cabin, he took time to actually take in his surroundings and smiled slightly. Typically Darren.

"So, Darren, what I said before..."

"Nah, don't sweat it," Darren said, opening his little bar fridge and pulling out a plate. "Cake?"

Chris held his hands up and shook his head, and looked around. A car magazine sprawled open upside-down on the brown stained couch. His vanity was absolutely covered in hair gel, courtesy of Hallie, by the looks of the brand. It was something posh, and Chris couldn't pronounce it.

A few other magazines were stacked on the table next to the door and Chris's eyes widened slightly when he saw the front cover. Darren turned around and cussed when he saw where Chris was looking.

"I... uh... Chord gave them to me," he said, sweeping them off the table until they clattered in an upside-down pile on the floor. Chris sniggered.

"Considering he didn't know who you were earlier, that was very kind of him," he said, raising an eyebrow. Darren chuckled embarrassedly and clasped his hands in front of him. Chris sighed and stuck his hands in his Dalton dress pants pockets. Darren stood on his tiptoes and back down again.

"Did you mean it?" Chris asked suddenly. Darren stopped rocking back and forth on his feet and froze.

"Uh, what?" he asked. Chris took a deep breath, trying not to stare too long at the way one of his curls fell out of its gelly prison and onto his forehead. He felt the sudden urge to sweep it off but he realised Darren was waiting for an explanation and quickly brought himself back to reality.

"W-What you said before. On set. About me being t-talented and such," he said, trying his hardest to keep his voice even. Why was this so hard?

"Oh, that," Darren said, a broad, dazzling grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I meant that. Why?"

"Just curious," Chris said, scratching his elbow. Darren nodded and pursed his lips.

"I'm just about to look through next week's script, want to join me?" he asked, and Chris nodded eagerly. Darren chuckled and sauntered over to the table where a fat booklet sat, with the words 'GLEE Season 2 Episode 17 – A Night of Neglect' typed across the front, then 'Darren' scrawled underneath it in Ryan's own handwriting.

"I'll run and get mine," Chris said, as Darren flipped the front cover open and nodded as he read the words. Chris turned and skipped lightly down the steps, his feet crunching on the gravelly concrete as he made his way to his own trailer. Amber was sitting on the steps outside hers, and she smiled as Chris walked past.

"The scripts are in," she said, and Chris nodded, pointing to his trailer. Once he got inside, he flipped a few pages and read briefly over the script. No kissing, so that was okay.

"Thanks, Ryan," he silently thanked his producer as he walked out of his trailer, not bothering to close the door behind him. Amber frowned as he walked past again.

"You okay?" she asked, eyeing the script in his hand.

Chris nodded and stopped for a second. "Yeah, I'm just going to run lines with Darren," he said, and Amber's frown turned smiley.

"'Kay," she said cheerfully, and Chris gave her a _what the fuck_ look before continuing towards Darren's hangout.

The door was open so he walked in, and Darren was sitting on the couch, smiling at the paper in his hands. Chris raised an eyebrow and knocked on the metal door frame. Darren jumped.

"Come in," he said. "And shut the door, it's freezing in here."

Chris did as he was told, and clicked the door shut. Darren shuffled over to the side of the couch and beckoned for Chris to come and sit beside him.

"So, we'll start from..."

"Your line," Darren finished his sentence, and Chris nodded. He cleared his throat, imagining himself in designer jeans and ridiculous converse high-tops.

"And that was the Spanish room, and of course you know the choir room," he said, gesturing to his right. His eyes scanned the page. "Brittany and Artie walk in, rah rah rah... Ah. We'll be there in a minute, I'm just showing Blaine around."

Darren clicked is tongue as he read over Artie's next line, then his own. "Aw, you miss them," he said, looking purposefully at Chris, who giggled and averted his eyes from Darren's perfect jawline back to his script. He raised his eyebrows as he saw that Karofsky then got involved.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Darren asked in a gruff voice, and Chris threw his head back laughing. Darren smiled.

"We're here for the benefit. Don't tell me _you're_ going," Chris said between giggles. Darren cleared his throat.

"I wouldn't be caught dead," he said, imitating Max Adler, and Chris found himself laughing again.

"I was pumping iron in the gym and one of the guys told me you two where here spreading your fairy dust all over the place," Darren said, his face serious and his voice low, and that just made Chris laugh even more.

"Would you just give it up?" Darren said as Blaine. "You can live whatever lie you want but don't pretend like the three of us don't know what's really going on here."

Chris took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"You don't know squat, butt-boy," Darren said, sounding all tough, and Chris was lost again, doubled over in laughter. Darren laughed with him.

"Then Santana comes in and... I believe it's your line," he said through chuckles. Chris tried to calm down enough to read the words on his page.

"R-Real brave with your fist b-b-but you're a c-coward when it c-comes to the..." he tried, but he was laughing so hard he couldn't get the words out. Darren cleared his throat again and sat up straighter.

"Real brave with your fist but you're a coward when it comes to the truth," he said in a high-pitched lady-like voice and Chris almost fell off the couch laughing. Darren shut his script and mock-sighed.

"And you tease me for being unprofessional," he said to Chris, who wiped his eyes and tried to sit up straight. But one look at Darren's goofy smile and he cracked up all over again.

A few minutes later, when both the boys had stopped laughing, Chris was fanning himself with the script and Darren was wiping his wet eyes with the short sleeve of his shirt.

"For someone who's nasty, disgusting and vile, you're actually an okay guy," Chris said, placing the script on his lap. Darren grinned, and Chris noticed the way his skin crinkled around his eyes, making him look younger than what he was.

"Aw, don't make me blush," Darren said jokingly, hiding his face behind his script. Chris chuckled.

"I should go," Chris said, standing up. Darren pouted.

"But I was having fun," he said, and Chris laughed once.

"See you later?" he said, maybe a little too hopefully, and Darren nodded eagerly up at Chris. Their eye contact lingered for a second and then Chris turned, trying to hide the massive grin on his face.

"Oh, and Darren?" he said, turning as he got to the door. Darren looked up over his glasses at Chris and nodded. "I didn't mean what I said before."

Darren smiled again, and Chris's breath hitched in his throat. "I know," he said, and Chris waved and walked down the four stairs.

Xxxxxxx

"What are you smiling about?" Amber asked from the steps of her trailer when Chris walked past her. Chris stopped and hugged the script to his chest, smiling happily.

"I made a new friend," he said, and Amber frowned.

"Ryan didn't say anything about a new cast member..." she said. Chris rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. I meant that I'm friends with Darren," he said. Amber frowned even more.

"Weren't you two already friends?" she asked. Chris sighed and rolled his eyes again.

"Not exactly," he said. "We... we didn't get along very well. I always thought he was kinda piggish and rude, not to mention annoying and unprofessional... but I guess I didn't really take the time out to know him, you know?"

Amber's eyes got wider and wider as he spoke. Chris frowned as she stood up and put her face close to his.

"Please remember he's straight and he has a girlfriend," she said. Chris scoffed.

"Uh, _rumoured_ girlfriend, Amber," he said, making his way towards his trailer. Amber grimaced.

"Girlfriend!" she called out as Chris jumped up the few metal steps of his own private hang-out, huffing. Sometimes, Amber could be exactly like her character.

Chris threw the script down on the table and ran over the events of the day in his head. After a minute or two, he smiled.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out, throwing himself down on the couch as he opened the message. Part of him was praying it was Darren.

_1 new message – Jonathon G._

Chris sighed and opened the text message.

_Chris, hey. I was wondering if you wanted to maybe do something later on. What do you reckon?_

Chris pursed his lips as he tried to think of the most polite way to decline.

_Sorry but I'm busy, maybe another day._

That'd do.

After he'd hesitantly pressed send and turned his phone off to avoid any more unwanted date offers (okay, so he hadn't exactly said the word 'date' but come on, the guy had been asking him to 'do something' for weeks), Chris looked around his trailer for something to do. His eyes fell upon the clock that read 4:30pm – time for Ellen! With a huge grin on his face he clicked the TV on just as the voiceover announced "Ellen DeGeneres!" and snuggled back into the cushions to enjoy his favourite show.

But halfway through he was interrupted by a sharp rapping at his door and he stood up, grumbling to himself. Out of habit, he checked his reflection in the small mirror next to his door, and, satisfied, opened it.

He was greeted with Darren's beaming face.

"Hey Chris!" he said. Chris couldn't help but smile. That is, until he saw her – the pretty brunette with the chocolate brown eyes that Darren was always bragging about to Cory or Lea every chance he got.

"D-Darren, hey..." Chris said, his voice dripping with... jealousy? Darren didn't seem to notice or if he did, he didn't acknowledge it as he pulled the girl forward, slinging an arm over her shoulder.

"Chris, meet Mia. Mia, this is-"

"Chris! Oh my gosh, hi!" the Mia said, a little over-enthusiastically for Chris's liking. She took his hand and shook it, smiling broadly.

"Hey there," Chris said, trying his hardest to sound excited or at the least, interested.

"First up, I just wanted to say you are _awesome_ as Kurt on Glee," she said, laughing a little, and Chris laughed along with her.

"Thanks," he said. "I-"

"Darren's told me so much about you!" she interrupted him. Chris shut his mouth quickly. "He's so excited that you two are finally getting along!"

Chris shot a glance at Darren who held his hands out at his sides and shrugged, his grin almost as wide as Mia's. Chris smiled and pretended to act surprised.

"Hoorah!" he said, and Mia laughed again. Darren clapped once and joined in, and Chris's cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling.

"So, what's on the agenda for today, boys?" she asked, peering past Chris into his trailer. Chris saw Darren shrug. Mia's smile never faltered.

"You should take her to meet the rest of the cast!" Chris suggested, and Mia's eyes lit up even more. She turned to Darren, grinning broadly.

"Well, who do you want to meet?" Darren asked. Chris noticed he didn't look directly at her as he spoke.

"Amber! And Lea, because her voice is amazing. Oh! Can I meet Riker?" she babbled, and Darren immediately looked exhausted. Chris grimaced at him, and Darren sighed.

"Yes, we can go meet Riker," he said, and Mia clapped. She turned to Chris and hugged him, taking the boy by surprise.

"Bye, Chris! It was so awesome to meet you!" she said, rocking him side to side. Chris stood rigid, hands by his sides, and over Mia's shoulder he saw Darren facepalm and shake his head.

"See you later!" Chris said, struggling to breathe. Darren placed a hand on Mia's shoulder and pulled her back, and she let go of Chris and wrapped her arms around Darren instead.

"Let's go meet Riker," she said excitedly. Darren nodded, saluted Chris lazily and turned on his heel. Chris smiled.

"Good luck!" he called pointedly to Darren, who turned his head and threw Chris an exasperated look. Chris chuckled as he turned and walked back into his trailer, kicking the door shut behind him. He slumped down on the couch and ran his hand through his still-Kurt-like hair.

There was another knock at the door. Chris groaned and heaved himself up, again checking his reflection, before wrenching the door open.

"Hello Chris," Lea's said, smiling. Chris grinned back. Lea held up two cardboard coffee cups. "Latte?"

"You are amazing," Chris chuckled, taking one from her. She smiled, and Chris stepped away from the door to let her in.

"What's new?" she asked, and Chris flicked the back of her head playfully. Her hair was smooth and straight.

"Just get back from scene?" he asked, and Lea nodded, sitting down on the couch and sipping her steaming drink. Chris moved a plush cushion out of the way and sat down next to her.

"You?" she asked, and Chris crossed his legs.

"Nope," he said. "I was rehearsing lines with Darren."

Lea frowned. "Who bribed you?"

Chris laughed once and sipped his coffee. "No one. He's actually really cool."

Lea raised an eyebrow and took another mouthful. Chris did the same.

"I thought you, like, hated each other," she said. Chris smiled.

"I did too," he said. Lea raised an eyebrow.

"Right," she said nonchalantly, and Chris flicked her leg. She chuckled.

"He brought Mia to set," Chris said, a sneer on his lips. Lea nodded as she sipped her coffee.

"Yeah, she's sweet," she said. Chris screwed up his nose.

"She's... enthusiastic," he said. Lea laughed.

"Do I sense a little jealousy, Chris?"

Chris snorted. "Oh, _please_," he said. "Don't turn into Amber. 'He has a girlfriend, Chris! Be careful, Chris!' It bugs me."

Lea raised an eyebrow. "We're just trying to warn you, kid," she said. Chris rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. That's serious, Chris – if you start to develop... feelings... for him, you can't act on them, not even one little bit. We're just trying to protect you."

"This is like the Kurt-and-Sam problem in real life, Lea," Chris said, standing up. "I'm just being nice. It might be amusing for you guys when me and Darren are ripping each other's throats out, but trust me, it's not so great from the receiving end." He folded his arms.

Lea sighed and it seemed like she was trying to find the right words. "All I'm saying is... please, don't get too ahead of yourself."

Chris took a deep breath, because he could feel his hands starting to shake. He stormed over to his door and threw it open, stepping aside. Lea looked at it.

"Get out, please," Chris said through clenched teeth. Lea frowned, and looked a little hurt, but she stood up anyway.

"Chris, don't-"

"I said get out. Please."

"Come on, I was just trying to-"

"Goodbye, Lea!" Chris almost yelled, and Lea jumped a little, hurriedly making her way towards the door. She stopped with one foot outside and looked at Chris, mashing her lips together in a hard line.

"Sometimes, you're exactly like Kurt, you know?"

Chris scoffed as she walked out with her head held high. He leaned out the door.

"And you're like Rachel!" he called. "Always causing drama!"

Lea put her finger up at him but didn't turn. Chris chuckled coldly and pushed the door closed, slamming it loudly. He clenched his fists and went to sit back down on his couch, eyeing his half-empty cup of coffee on the table next to him. Then he picked it up and dropped it in the trash can next to the couch. He did the same with Lea's, and then there was a knock on the door.

Chris considered leaving it, just in case it was her, but curiosity got the better of him as the knock sounded again and it sounded rougher than a girl's knock so he stood up and didn't even bother to check his reflection before he pulled the door open.

"Darren... hi."

The curly-haired actor smiled, but his eyes looked concerned and tired. "Hey... what just happened with Lea? I was coming to see you and she stormed past me, muttering something about drama and bitches and bad pancakes... everything okay?"

Chris couldn't help what he said next. "You were coming to see me?" he squeaked. Darren's smile turned into a grin.

"Yeah," he said. "I palmed Mia off to Riker for the next hour so I have some alone time. I thought that I could come spend it with you!"

Chris's heart jumped.

"That is, if you want my company," Darren continued, throwing a glance over Chris's shoulder into his cabin. "Are you busy? I interrupted something, didn't I?"

"No, no!" Chris said, grabbing his hand without thinking and pulling him inside. Darren grinned again and looked around Chris's trailer in awe.

"How do you keep things so neat?" he asked, seating himself down on the couch. Chris smiled and sat next to him, a safe distance away.

"It comes naturally to me," he said. "Just like acting, or singing. If something's out of place, I have to fix it."

"Oh, so it's like OCD?" Darren was playing with a loose thread on Chris's floral couch.

"Not really," he said. "Well, not like Emma-OCD. I just like to be neat and tidy is all."

Darren nodded once and kept playing with the thread. Chris cleared his throat.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked, standing up. Darren looked up eagerly at the promise of something to drink.

"Sure," he said. "What have you got?"

Chris opened his mini-fridge. "Cola, Cherry Cola, Dr Pepper, Diet Coke..."

"Do you have apple juice?"

"Uh... yep! One left."

"What kind?"

"Minute Maid."

"Yay!"

Chris took one out of the fridge and leaned over to hand it to Darren, who suddenly looked very excited. Chuckling to himself, Chris pulled a Diet Coke out of the fridge and snapped the puller open, sitting back down on the couch. By then, Darren had already downed half of his juice. Chris raised an eyebrow at him.

"You really were thirsty."

Darren grinned his megawatt grin at him and Chris looked down, hastily taking a sip of his drink. _I wonder if he knows he's doing that?_ Chris though, referring to his fluttering stomach.

"So anyway, what was the deal with you and Lea?"

Chris swallowed his mouthful and looked at Darren, who was waiting eagerly to hear the story. "Well, she came over, and brought coffee, and told her how we rehearsed lines, and then she accused me of having feelings for you, just like Amber, and I told her to stop being like Amber, and she told me she was just trying to protect me because you're taken and all. Then I referred to the situation as the Kurt-and-Sam thing but in real life." He paused to take a breath, not noticing how close Darren's face had gotten to his. "I mean, I don't see why I can't be nice to another guy without it meaning something. Know what I mean?"

Darren nodded. Chris's breath hitched in his throat.

"Do you have feelings for me?" Darren asked softly. Chris faltered.

"N-No, of course not," he stammered. Darren stopped leaning closer and chuckled, looking down.

"Shame," he said. "That would've made awesome headlines."

"Yeah. It also would've made one angry Mia come charging into my house in the middle of the night," Chris said incredulously. Darren smirked.

"Oh come on, you know she'd do that anyway," he said, and they both laughed. Darren wouldn't make eye contact.

"No," Chris said. "You're my co-star. I most certainly do not have any more-than-friendly feelings for you whatsoever."

Darren grinned again and slapped Chris's knee before standing up. "Speak of the devil," he said, checking his watch. "I wanna get some stuff done before I have to pick her up."

Chris scoffed and stood up, too. "Babysit much?" he said sarcastically. Darren smiled and slapped his shoulder.

"Naw, she's adorable," he said. "Anyway, thanks for the apple juice. I owe you!"

"Don't mention it," Chris smiled, walking Darren to the door. The shorter man slipped on his infamous pink Wayfarers, despite the slowly setting sun, and skipped lightly down the steps.

"See you tomorrow!" he said, turning his head and waving. Chris waved back until Darren turned and jogged away. Then he closed his door, turned on the light 'cause it was getting kind of dark and sighed.

He most certainly had more-than-friendly feelings for his co-star.

Xxxxxxx

_So how about that catch-up? – Jonothan_

Chris groaned and threw his phone somewhere in the direction of the wall at the end of his bed.

"What don't you get?" he grumbled to himself, wiping the sleep out of his eyes and squinting as the first rays of sunlight hit him from the open curtains. "I will never go out with you."

Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, he got up in search of his abandoned phone. He found it lying face-down on the carpet and momentarily panicked, hurriedly picking it up off the floor. He sighed in relief when he saw it was unharmed.

As he deleted Jonothan's message, another came through. Chris's stomach flipped as he saw it was from Darren.

_Go onto your balcony. – D_

Chris frowned and walked to the sliding door at the side of his room, slipping it open. He was staying at a hotel not too far from where Glee was shot, on the third floor of the building which gave him a nice view of the city below and the gigantic _Gleek out! _poster directly opposite his veranda. He preferred to stay here than in his trailer.

When he got out onto the ledge he immediately looked down and his eyes zoned in on a mop of unruly curls, bright pink sunglasses and a breathtaking smile below. Darren had one of those coffee holders in his hand, which held two large cups. Chris smiled uncontrollably.

"Want a pick-me-up?" Darren called, ignoring the looks people all around him gave. A group of teenage girls that walked past started pointing and giggling, but Darren paid almost no attention to them, except for flashing them his smile that had them all swooning and fanning their faces. Chris laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Sure, come on up!" he called back. "I'm 16E! Just tell Freddie in the elevator that you want to see me, and he'll send you up!"

Darren gave him a thumb up as best he could and then disappeared under the awning on the bottom floor. Chris shook his head in disbelief.

Then he realised his was still in his pyjamas and, cussing to himself under his breath, went to put together an outfit before Darren arrived.

He walked over to his cupboard and wrenched the door open. After a few short seconds of rummaging around in the stacks and stacks of clothes, he decided on a pair of middle blue skinny jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a flimsy cotton scarf that matched that pants. He threw them on, then raced into the bathroom to do something with his hair. He'd just finished brushing his teeth when there was a knock on the door.

"It's open... I think!" he called, and there was the sound of the handle being turned. Then the door clicked open.

"You really shouldn't leave this unlocked," Darren said as Chris walked into the living room. He smiled.

"I think I'm pretty safe. Freddie keeps a close eye on me."

Darren nodded. "Yeah, cool elevator man."

Chris laughed. Darren held out the coffees.

"Latte?" he said. Chris took one and smiled gratefully.

"You're a lifesaver," he said. "I hate going out to get these. No matter what I wear, people always recognise me."

Darren laughed. "I guess I know how you feel," he said. "The barista was insistent on giving me these for free."

"Did you?"

"'Course not," Darren said. Chris nodded.

Chris rocked back on his heels while Darren peered around the room. It was silent for a few seconds.

"How's Mia?" Chris asked, without really wanting to hear an answer.

"Good," Darren replied. "She was really ecstatic to meet you."

"Yeah, I could see that." Darren laughed. Chris gestured to the couch, and they both sat.

"How did you two meet?" Chris asked, sipping his coffee. Darren sipped his before answering.

"At a music festival a few years ago," he said. "I opened for her band. She recognised me from Starkid, asked for my autograph, I gave her my number, and three months later we were dating." He smiled a little.

"How romantic," Chris said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Darren laughed.

They were both quiet again, drinking their coffee, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.

"How did we get here?" Darren said suddenly. Chris looked at him and tilted his head a little.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Darren shrugged.

"Three days ago, we hated each other. Well, you hated me; I've never had anything against you. I was actually quite excited when I found out I got the part of Blaine, because I knew I'd be working closely with you. You probably have no idea how much it killed me that you didn't want anything to do with me off-set. And I was such a big fan," he said. Chris felt a pang of guilt in his stomach, alongside something else. "And now we're having coffee in your hotel room together."

"I-I'm sorry," he said. "I don't know what else I can say. I don't know why I didn't like you... maybe I just didn't get the chance to get to know the real you, I don't know." Chris looked at the pattern on the coffee table in the middle of the room and sipped his drink. He was aware of Darren's eyes on his face.

"That's okay," the dark-haired man said, grinning. "All's good now." Chris chuckled and nodded.

Although he wouldn't make eye contact, he could still see Darren's intent stare on his face out of the corner of his eye. Blinking once or twice, he looked up, and caught Darren's gaze. He couldn't read the emotion on his face.

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" Darren asked, and Chris hesitated a little before he answered.

"Um, yeah," he said, putting his half-empty lukewarm drink down on the table. Darren threw the rest of his back and placed his cup next to Chris's, just touching. Then he stood up and waited for Chris to do the same.

As they made for the door Chris's phone vibrated. _Are you with Darren? I need you both to come down to set, I need to talk to you both about something – Ryan_

Chris frowned. Darren cocked his head to the side. "What?"

"Ryan needs to see us," Chris replied. Darren raised his eyebrows.

"How urgently does he need us?" he asked. "We could walk there, it's only a few blocks away."

Chris nodded and shot a quick text back at their director, before grabbing his motel key and stepping outside. He locked the door after Darren was out and deposited the key into his back pocket. He didn't notice Darren's eyes watching his eyes the whole time.

Freddie greeted them both with a warm smile when they got to the elevator. "Mr Colfer, Mr Criss," he said cheerily. Chris rolled his eyes.

"Chris and Darren, please," he said, stepping into the open elevator door after Darren. Freddie laughed.

"Of course," he said. "Where to?"

"Lobby, thanks," Chris replied, smiling sideways at Darren who smiled back. Freddie chuckled and pushed the lobby button, and there was nothing but the soft elevator music breaking the silence as the lift travelled down.

"Thanks Freddie!" Darren said as he stepped out. Freddie saluted him briefly and waved to Chris as they left the building through the rotating glass doors that Chris used to love so much when he was a child.

"Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go," Darren sang softly as they sauntered down the pavement towards the set. Chris laughed and waved at a couple of people screaming madly at him over the road. Cars honked and people cried out windows and Chris loved it, all the attention, and how people would recognize him the minute they saw him on the street. Only the bravest of people would come up and ask for photos or autographs, but Chris didn't really mind, and would never complain when he had to pose for a photo or two.

"I wonder what Ryan wants," Darren wondered out loud, and Chris shrugged and smiled as a buss full of tourists went past and everyone stuck their heads out the tiny windows and yelled out. Darren turned and waved to them with a bright smile on his face.

"You are such an attention whore," Chris laughed, and Darren nodded.

"Absolutely!" he said, and Chris shook his head.

The rest of the walk consisted of them talking about their days before Glee – Darren went on about Starkid and all the amazing friends he made and how he still spoke to most of them today, and Chris talked about how he got into showbiz in the first place when his middle school did a production of _The Wizard of Oz_ and he got to play Dorothy. He totally killed the part, naturally.

"So, let me get this straight – you dressed up in a dress and a wig and went out on stage in front of hundreds of people as a girl?" Darren asked incredulously. Chris nodded as if it was no big deal for him.

"Don't forget the red high heels," he said. "I looked totally hot in those."

"Man, you've got guts," Darren said. Chris shrugged and tried to compose himself as his shoulder brushed against Darren's.

"I love the spotlight," he said. "Amber says I'm just like Kurt."

Darren scoffed. "Exactly like Kurt."

Chris laughed. "I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment...?"

"Take it however you want to," Darren said in a matter-of-fact tone, leaving the conversation opened. Chris pondered that for a second as they walked through the gates of the Glee set.

"There you are!" Ryan cried from across the trailer park. "Quick! I need to run a few things by you guys."

Darren and Chris looked at each other and shrugged, jogging over the grass to Ryan's trailer. Chris waved to Lea who was outside hers, but she just rolled her eyes and turned away.

"'Sup boss?" Darren asked when they got inside. Ryan was sitting down at his table, hunched over a thick booklet in front of him.

"Chris, how would you like it if Kurt transferred back to McKinley?" he asked, not looking up. Chris saw Darren's eyes immediately widen and he was pretty sure his own did, too.

"Uh, what?" he said. Ryan looked up at him.

"Would you be okay with it if Kurt left Dalton and went back to McKinley?" he said slowly, as if talking to a child. Chris raised his eyebrows.

"Well, sure," he said. "I mean, they write I act, right? Wasn't that a part of my contract?"

"Yeah," Ryan said. He turned his focus to Darren. "We want you to sing to Kurt on the stairs of McKinley after he transfers."

Chris felt his eyes turn puppy-like as he heard the idea. "Oh, that'd just be cute!"

Darren looked at Chris, then back to Ryan. "Sure," he said, a little half-heartedly. Chris heard the heaviness in his voice.

"Excellent," he said. Chris held his pointer finger up.

"Which song will he be singing?"

"We haven't quite figured that out yet," Ryan replied. Darren scratched the back of his head.

"Okay, sure," Darren said again. "Yep, good."

Chris looked at Darren with a raised eyebrow. "Everything okay?"

Darren smiled and nodded. Chris smiled back.

"Okay, that's all," Ryan said, fluttering his hands in the direction of the door. Chris shrugged and turned to leave, Darren following him.

"How come you sounded so disappointed back there?" Chris asked as they walked in the direction of Darren's trailer. The site bustled with mid-morning set-ups for filming later in the day, and Darren waved to Zach, their choreographer, as they walked.

"I dunno," he said, kicking a rock along the ground. Chris watched as it skittered underneath Chord's trailer. "I suppose I don't want Kurt to leave Dalton. I kinda like the idea of them going to the same school, y'know?"

Chris nodded – he did know. He also knew that if Kurt transferred back to McKinley, Chris wouldn't get to spend as much time with Darren.

"And besides, if Kurt moves back to McKinley we won't be spending as much time together," Darren said, nudging Chris's shoulder with his. Chris smiled.

"You read my mind," he said lightly, and Darren laughed.

Xxxxxxx

_Want to come to my trailer for lunch? – Jonothan _

Chris groaned and tapped hard at the screen, deleting the message. He tried to focus his eyes back to the TV.

_Or we could go out somewhere, you know, there's heaps of places on main street we could go. – J_

Chris clenched his fists, and deleted that message too. His heart was beating a little harder but it wasn't because of Jonothan – ew – it was because every time his phone vibrated he hoped, prayed, that it was Darren. He hadn't seen him since yesterday.

_I heard there was this really nice restaurant down the road. My shout? – J_

"That's it!" Chris exclaimed. He hastily typed back a response.

_Look Jonothan, you're a great guy and all but you're really not my type. Please, please stop asking me out because it won't ever happen. I'm really sorry. Chris._

His thumb hovered a little over the send button, but this had to be done, so he tapped send and watched as the little blue bar across the top of the screen filled up and told him his message had been sent. He slumped back against the cushions and ran his hand through his hair.

There was a knock at his door. Glancing quickly at the lock, he saw it wasn't latched, and he couldn't be bothered to get up, so he called out "Come in!"

Then the door opened and Darren's curly head of hair appeared, and in his hand he had a thick booklet – a script. He grinned widely.

"Ryan wanted me to give this to you," he said, stepping inside. He handed the script to Chris, who smiled and tried to control his breathing.

"Any exciting stuff this week?" Chris asked, and Darren nodded.

"You transfer, and Blaine sings to Kurt," Darren said, and Chris frowned, looking at the front cover. It was labelled _Season 2 episode 18 – Born this Way_. Under it was Chris's name scrawled in lazy writing, as always.

"I transfer already? But, Ryan only asked us yesterday, and we haven't even finished _A Night of Neglect _yet..."

Darren shrugged. "Turn to page eleven," he said. "Look at the song."

Chris did, and smiled a little. "_Somewhere Only We Know_?" he said. "Really, Ryan?"

"Then they hug," Blaine said in a cute voice, and Chris laughed. Sure enough, the two were supposed to hug and then Kurt was to whisper, 'I'm never saying goodbye to you' in Blaine's ear.

"Well that's a bit cute," Chris said, and Darren nodded and smiled. Chris tried not to look in fear of getting completely lost.

Chris's phone vibrated again. He let out a breath between his teeth. "I swear to all that is holy, if that's Jonothan..."

"Does he keep texting you?" Darren asked, scooting closer to Chris to look over his shoulder at the message. "What does he want?"

"He keeps asking me out," Chris said, opening the message. "It's okay, this one's from Hallie. Her and Madison want us at the trailer in ten minutes."

"He's asking you out?" Darren said, ignoring that last part. "Did you say yes?"

"Absolutely not," Chris said in a disgusted tone. "No way. He's nice and all, but..." He shuddered, and Darren laughed.

"Well, good," he said. Chris raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean, he's not your type. No, that's not what I meant. He's beneath you, not good enough, you know?" Chris laughed as Darren babbled.

"Thanks, I think," Chris chuckled, and Darren rubbed his own face with his hand.

"Wanna get there early?" he asked with a mischievous grin on his face. "I can annoy the hell out of Madi, then."

Chris laughed and stood up. "Remember, she has a comb," he said, and Darren laughed. They made their way down the steps of the trailer and Chris turned to lock the door, before running to catch up with Darren. They headed for the hair and make-up trailer.

When they arrived, Amber and Lea were there; Amber was getting her hair straightened by Madison and Hallie was applying a light shade of eye shadow to Lea's face. The actress had her typical Rachel Berry attire on, and Amber smiled as they walked in.

"Hey boys!" Hallie said as they got in. Madison greeted them as best she could with a blush brush in her mouth, and Darren chuckled.

"Just take a seat over there, we'll be finished in a few minutes," Hallie said, and the two men walked over to the dark corner of the trailer where all the abandoned hair extensions and empty make-up containers sat. Chris ran his finger along the dusty surface of the old dresser and rubbed his finger and thumb together, scrunching his face up.

"So Darren, did Mia get her grand tour?" Amber asked cheekily from the chair. Darren laughed and walked over to where she was sitting.

"Yeah, she really enjoyed herself," he said. Chris listened from where he stood in the corner, back turned. He really didn't want to hear about Mia at that moment.

"I can tell," Amber said. "She's a cutie."

Darren chuckled once, out of his nose, and then it was all quiet except for the quiet snapping of the hair straightener's ceramic plates as they came down over Amber's locks.

"There you go Lea!" Hallie exclaimed. "All done. Who's next?"

Darren beamed and jumped into the chair, and it groaned in protest under his sudden weight. Hallie laughed and pumped the lever under the chair a few times, bringing it up. Darren's smile turned to a pout as Amber and Hallie laughed.

"Not my fault I'm so short," he grumbled, and even Chris had to laugh. He turned around and sauntered over to Amber and Madison.

"You missed a spot," he said, gently touching a spot on Amber's head where her hair flicked out a little. Madison made an annoyed sound and slapped his hand away, fixing it with the searing hot straightener. Chris raised his eyebrows and stepped over to where Darren was getting a light bronzer brushed over his face.

"She's a little on the pissy side today," Hallie stage-whispered to him, and Madison sighed and took the clip from her mouth.

"I am not _pissy_," she said. "I'm annoyed because you people won't sit still. Perfection takes time, you do realize?"

"Chill out, Madi," Chris said. "Relax. Deep breaths."

Madison narrowed her eyes at him. "You've changed," she said. "_Don't_ call me Madi. Ever."

Darren laughed and then coughed because Hallie had accidently shoved the brush in his mouth when it opened. Chris began to chuckle and Amber strained her head to see what was going on, and of course that made Madison mad so she groaned in frustration. The trailer was filled with Hallie's apologies, Chris's laughing, Darren's spluttering and Madison's complaints when Naya walked in.

"It sounds like a freaking zoo in here," she said. "Are you guys really having fun without me?"

"I don't know, I can't even see what's going on and _someone_ won't stop pulling on my hair!" Amber exclaimed, trying her best to look at Madison without moving her head. Madison clenched her fist at her side and continued running the brush through Amber's now-straight hair.

"Okay, you're done. Chris, sit," she said in an annoyed tone, ushering Amber out of the chair and pushing Chris down in it. Amber mumbled her thanks to Madison and walked out, pulling Naya along with her.

"What's going on this week?" Hallie asked, like she always did. "Any cute moments? Sweet kisses? Ridiculous parties where Blaine gets totally smashed and ends up with Kurt's bed? You know, that leaves the imagination with a lot to think about," she said, tapping her head with the make-up brush. Both the boys laughed.

"Not this week," Darren replied. "But next week Blaine gets to sing to Kurt, and then they hug. I guess that's kinda cute."

"Oh, adorable," Hallie said, smiling. Darren nodded.

"So you're excited about doing Gaga again?" Madison asked, and Chris frowned.

"When?" he asked. Madison stopped combing his hair.

"Uh, next week? _Born this Way_?" she said obviously. "That is the name of the song, right? Or am I thinking of something else?"

"No, that's the song," Chris said. "I didn't even realize."

"You were too busy fantasizing about hugging me," Darren joked, and Chris guffawed.

"Me? Please."

Hallie and Madison exchanged knowing glances that neither of the boys saw.

Xxxxxxx

Chris threw himself at Darren and wrapped his arms around the other man's neck. "I'm never saying goodbye to you," he whispered, paying no attention to the huge camera that hovered in front of his face. Darren's grip tightened on him the slightest.

"Cut!" Ryan called. "Okay, that was excellent, but I wanna run it one more time. Five minute break, guys!"

Chris sighed and untangled himself from Darren, who clapped him on the shoulder.

"Just so you know, I'll never get tired of pretending to be your boyfriend," he said with a goofy grin on his face. Chris laughed.

"Kurt's boyfriend," he corrected. Darren tapped the side of his nose and Chris laughed as Naya and Heather walked over to them.

"You guys need to stop being so adorable," Heather said. "You're making me cry."

Darren pretended to hide his face in Chris's shoulder and the taller boy laughed with the others. Naya folded her arms.

"You need to hurry up and go out, that's what you need to do," she said, and Chris's chuckles died down. Darren stood up.

"Ah, no, I'm straight," he said, putting a hand on his chest. "Chris is my good buddy but I'm pretty sure I never see us working out."

Chris looked at Darren and back to Naya helplessly. "Yeah, what he said," he managed to get out as Ryan walked back onto the set.

"Alright, my stars – places! Darren, get up there. Kurt, your transfer is now official! You have ten seconds, go!"

They did the scene over again and once more for good measure.

"Cut, and scene!" Ryan called and Chris pulled himself away from Darren, who sighed and beamed.

"Good job, as always," he said. Chris tipped his top hat to him and they both laughed.

"Someone get me a tissue," Heather said, running down the stairs and fanning her face. "That was too intense. You guys are really, really good at that."

"Only because the feelings are real," Naya said, dodging Chris's palm as it flew towards the back of her head. Her and Heather giggled.

"Look guys, I'll say it again – never gonna happen," Darren said, nonchalantly unbuttoning the blazer. Chris wetted his lips.

"Darren!" a chirpy female voice called from off-set. Darren ducked his head and squinted.

"There's why," he said softly before turning. Chris turned around, too, and Mia beamed widely at the both of them.

"Oh my gosh, that was so _cute_!" she chided. "You're so freaking talented. Hi, Naya, hey Heather!"

Heather and Naya mumbled their hello's and some excuse as to why they had to go, hastily rushing off set. Mia looked confused for a second before she turned back to Darren and smiled widely, fixing the collar of his white dress shirt.

"Why are you so chipper?" Darren asked, and Chris could just see that he was faking that smile. Mia's smile grew impossibly wider.

"Because the band just got a gig downtown at that new club tonight!" she squealed, and Darren did his absolute best to sound excited too.

"Congratulations," Chris said. Mia looked at him and nodded, still smiling, before turning back to Darren. Chris rolled his eyes and turned on his heels.

"See you later, Darren," he murmured.

"I want you to open for us again," Chris heard Mia say as he walked.

"Uh, tonight? I can't, because, uh, me and Chris are hanging out."

Chris stopped and turned again. "We are?" he asked. Darren looked at him and nodded with pleading eyes. "I mean, we are! Right."

Mia's aura of excitement faded almost instantly and she looked at Darren, pouting.

"But I hardly get to spend any time with you anymore," she said. "I was really hoping you could play just a couple of songs to get the crowd jazzed. The you could watch us play! Please?" she begged, but Darren shook his head.

"Sorry," he said, kissing her forehead and weaving his way out of her grip. "But I'm not changing my mind."

Chris blinked as Mia pouted even more.

"But Dar-"

"Goodbye Mia, I'll see you later."

The girl's pout turned into a frown as she turned and stormed off, leaving Chris dumbfounded and Darren sighing in defeat.

"And everyone asks why I won't break up with her," he said under his breath as he turned to walk towards the dressing rooms. Chris stood for a second before catching up with him.

"You want to break up with her?" he asked before he could stop himself. Darren gave him a weird look but didn't keep walking.

"I hardly think that's any of your business," he said. Chris nodded.

"Sorry, that was rude. Uh, so when did we organize to hang out? Refresh my memory."

Darren smiled and stepped up the few steps to the dressing room trailer.

"Uh, right now I guess. Come by my trailer at 5, and we'll, uh, hang out," he said, grabbing his own clothes off a pile in the corner and swinging into the dressing room, catching the door with his foot.

_How cliché, _Chris thought, shaking his head. He turned and walked slowly down the steps of the dressing room, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

Xxxxxxx

It was ten past five and Chris was still trying to find the courage to leave the comfort of his own trailer. He was standing in front of the mirror next to his door, fixing his hair, when his phone vibrated in his back pocket.

_You coming? _the text from Darren read, and he took a shaky breath before replying.

_Leaving now, be there in like 2 seconds_

He forced himself to open the door and step out, close it, lock it and almost trip down the stairs with nervousness. Then he locked the door, shoved his keys in his pocket and set off towards Darren's trailer that was all the way across the set.

"Where are you going?" a voice suddenly asked from beside him and he jumped and stopped walking. Lea stood innocently beside him. Chris sighed.

"I'm going to hang out with Darren," he said, starting to walk again. "Not that it's an of _your_ business."

Lea started walking, too. "Hang out?" she said suspiciously. Chris rolled eyes.

"Yes Lea, hang out. It's generally what friends do."

"But you see him as more than a friend."

Chris's step faltered. "N-No I don't," he said, and he really wished his voice sounded surer. Lea huffed.

"Yes you do," she said. Chris made an annoyed sound.

"No, I don't," he said, refusing to make eye contact. "There's nothing wrong with being nice."

"But there's something wrong with liking someone else's _straight_ boyfriend," Lea said matter-of-factly. Chris clicked his tongue and stopped walking. Lea halted too.

"You're not gonna let this go, are you?" Chris asked. Lea shook her head sincerely.

"Mia's my friend," she said. "I don't want her to get heartbroken. And... I don't want you to get heartbroken either, Chris, when he can't reciprocate your feelings." She put a hand on his shoulder. Chris shrugged it off.

"Look Lea, I see him as nothing more than a friend and co-star and I'm positive he's the same way," Chris said. "Thank you for your concern but you don't need to worry."

Lea sighed and rolled her eyes, turning the other way and walking off towards Amber's trailer. Chris chuckled and folded his arms, walking the rest of the way to Darren's trailer. When he got to the door he could hear the faint sound of music. He knocked twice.

"Come in!" Darren called out, and the music stopped. Chris pushed the doorhandle down and opened the door. Darren had a guitar on his lap, and he smiled broadly.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, glancing at the clock on the wall that now read 5:13pm. "Lea's trying to convince me I have, um, feelings for you."

Darren gave him an odd look for a minute before nodded once and looking down at his guitar, fiddling with the fret board. Chris stood awkwardly by the door, one hand resting on the handle.

"You play?" he asked. Darren looked up and moved a curl off his forehead. Chris bit his lip.

"Yeah," Darren said, smiling again. "I mean, not much. Mostly just Disney covers. I've written one or two, though..."

"Can I hear one?" Chris asked, without really thinking. "The one you were just playing?"

Darren looked up at him with warm eyes and nodded, still smiling. He moved over on the couch and beckoned for Chris to sit next to him. The brunette smiled, closed the door and went to sit next to his... co-star.

"It's a little rough," Darren said. "I'm still working on it."

"I don't mind," Chris said. Darren averted his eyes and positioned his fingers on the guitar.

A flowing tune floated out of the guitar as Darren's fingers began to move and Chris watched, intrigued. It had always seemed so complicated – keeping up the strums in time with your fingers on the strings – but Darren made it look easy.

"_Say," _he sang. _"Wasn't that a funny day? Gee, you had a funny way, a way about you – a kind of glow, of something new. Sure, I'll admit that I'm the same, another sucker for a game kids like to play, and the rules they like to use..."_

Chris detected a slight double meaning behind the lyrics, but he kept listening.

"_Don't you want the way I feel?" _Darren sang. _"Don't you want the way I feel? Don't you want the way I feel for you?"_

Yep, definitely a double meaning.

"_The sun, telling me the night is done, well I refuse to let it stop our fun, close your eyes, we'll make it dark again, and kiss, there's a thought so how 'bout this? Let's pretend that both our lips are made of candy... after all, we need sweets every now and then."_

Darren smiled as he sang that, and looked up at Chris out of the corner of his eye. Chris realized he'd been staring and looked away quickly, a blush rising in his cheeks.

"_Don't you want the way I feel? Don't you want the way I feel? Don't you want the way I feel for you?"_

Now Chris was aware of Darren's eyes on his face, but he refused to look up. He crossed his fingers over his knees and looked around the room.

"_Here we are, two strangers, from a very different place – who knows what will happen, to us next? Here we are with nothing but this little spark, it's too cold outside to lay this fire to rest."_

Chris peeked up and met Darren's burning golden orbs. He swallowed.

"_Go? How so very apropos. A goodbye just as soon as I said hello, well alright, I'll see you later. It's true – just a fantasy for two, but what's the difference if it all could have been true? I guess this is better."_

Chris couldn't be sure but he thought Darren was a little closer than before. He was to focused on decoding the lyrics to notice.

"_Don't you want the way I feel? Don't you want the way I feel? Don't you want the way I feel for you?" _Darren leaned in closer, and Chris couldn't find it in himself to lean away.

"_Oh, don't you want the way I feel? Don't you want the way I feel? Don't you want the way I feel for you?" _The song morphed from chord after chord to single-note as Darren sung the last words. _"Don't you want the way, that I feel for... you?"_

Then Darren's right hand had left the guitar and it was on Chris's face and their lips were _inches_ apart, and Chris could feel Darren's breath on his face.

"Don't you?" Darren whispered, and Chris jumped up. Darren blinked.

"I shouldn't have come here," Chris said, squeezing his eyes shut. "You should have gone with Mia and... y-you should have opened for her with that song, and I should listen to Lea because she's _so goddamn right..._" He didn't open his eyes, and clenched his fists at his side.

"I don't want Mia," Darren said bluntly, bored even. Chris still didn't open his eyes, but tipped his head to the side.

"Wh-what?"

Chris heard Darren get up off the couch and put his guitar down, and then there was a hand on his side and Darren was breathing on his face again. "I don't want Mia. I want you."

Again, the distance between their faces was almost non-existent. Chris knew that if he opened his eyes he wouldn't be able to stop himself from grabbing Darren's hair and kissing him senseless so he kept them firmly shut.

"You can't say that," he whispered. "You're straight. I... you're not supposed to do this, remember? It's so cliché and I never wanted that with us..." He took a shaky breath, and there was another reason not to open his eyes – the risk of salt water gushing from his eyes was too great. "I want you too b-but Mia's first and-"

"So take me," Darren said. "I'm yours."

The words shocked Chris and his eyes flew open, and Darren was really close and that shocked him too but what shocked him the most was the sudden loss of air and the hand on the back of his head, and another pair of lips on his, desperately begging him to respond. But he didn't – Chris just stood there, shocked, as Darren kissed him.

A few seconds later the shorter man pulled back and his own eyes were still closed. "Tell me you didn't want that," he whispered against Chris's lips. "Tell me you don't have feelings for me and walk out the door."

Chris felt a tear slip down his cheek. "I can't do that."

And so Darren kissed him again and this time Chris kissed back, lacing his fingers into Darren's hair and tugging lightly. Darren moaned and dropped his hands down to the small of Chris's back, and Chris felt the tip of the other boys' hot tongue trace his bottom lip. With a small sigh he granted him entrance and their tongues danced together, battling.

Eventually, though, they had to breathe, and neither would look at one another when they pulled away. But Chris's body stayed against Darren's, hands in his hair, breathing heavily, and blushing madly.

"I just have one question," Chris said suddenly, and Darren groaned.

"I have the feeling you're going to make this a lot worse than it already is."

"Bear with me," Chris said. "I need to know one thing... what about Mia?"

Darren thought for a minute, and then sighed. "She'll slap me, scream at you, destroy a couple things and storm off the set."

Chris nodded. "Works for me," he said. "Is that going to affect you lots?"

"Wait," Darren said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you're okay with this?"

"With what?"

"With the fact that, uh, I'm gay and, uh, I'm in love with you and, uh, we just had the most awesome hook-up in history? Like, ever?"

Chris had to laugh at the tone in Darren's voice. "I'm totally fine with it."

"Then it's not going to affect me at all," Darren said, pushing his lips to Chris's again.

"Wait," Chris said, gently pushing on Darren's shoulder. "You're in love with me?"

Darren chuckled. "If the song I just sang didn't explain how I feel, then you're either really oblivious or I'm just horrible at expressing myself."

Chris laughed and rested his forehead against Darren's. "So, does this make us..."

"Boyfriends?" Darren finished the sentence. "Yeah, I guess it does."

Chris smiled. "I'm okay with that."

"Good."

They kissed again for a minute or two, savouring the moment, and then Darren pulled away.

"Oh, and no matter what happens, what we say or do, this is always going to be cliché," he said, and Chris laughed again.

"I'm okay with that, too."

Xxxxxxx

_A/N: If I get 10 reviews I'll write a smuttier M-rated sequel where Darren comes out to the cast, and Mia, and maybe she doesn't react so great because "You blew me off to get with _him_!". But ONLY if I get 10 reviews. :)_

_Would you believe I started writing this in April? It's now September. It took me five fucking months to write this. I don't think you understand how horribly sad that is. And it's not even one of my best pieces... am I losing it?_

_Lol jks, I lost it years ago._

_Thanks for sticking with me you guys, and sorry about the random name change. I just wanted it to match my Tumblr (link is in my profile) and BlaineAnderson'KurtHummel was stupid anyway. _

_Je t'aime, te queiro, aishite masu, ich liebe dich and any other way you can say I love you in a foreign language. Bye!_


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